Fallen Minneapolis PD Officer Jamal Mitchell honored Sunday
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A procession held Sunday honored the life of the Minneapolis police officer killed in a mass shooting last week when a gunman ambushed him as the officer tried to help victims.
Fellow Minneapolis police officers escorted the body of Officer Jamal Mitchell from the county medical examiner's office to a funeral home in Minneapolis.
In an online post, Minneapolis police shared photos of officers honoring Officer Mitchell as his body is moved.
Officer Mitchell was shot dead on May 30, while responding to a mass shooting in the streets of south Minneapolis. According to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Officer Mitchell was trying to help a man he thought was injured, when that man ambushed him.
On Sunday, the procession honored his ultimate sacrifice, as the 36-year-old’s flag-draped coffin was taken from the medical examiner’s office to Estes Funeral Home.
"His name deserves to be honored and remembered forever," Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey told FOX 9. "He was here to protect and serve, and what I can promise everybody, especially the family, is that Jamal Mitchell’s name will not just be remembered today, and for these next several months, [but that] that name will live on in Minneapolis forever as a courageous hero."
Later, a crowd gathered in South Minneapolis to pray for peace. Among those grieving was a group of 911 dispatchers who received Thursday’s emergency call.
"It’s been a rough time for them. I know they are at a loss for words right now," a dispatcher said, speaking for the group.
Officer Mitchell was a fiancé and father of three. His sudden death marks the first line-of-duty death of a Minneapolis police officer since 2002.
When is Officer Mitchell's funeral?
Funeral arrangements have not yet been set for Officer Mitchell.
On Sunday, the police department promised to share details on the ceremony once they are finalized.